SIX MONTHS ago, top Savannah officials were almost giddy, and rightly so, about a $8.4 million budget surplus that the city accumulated in 2011.

It was described as the largest, year-end financial cushion in the city’s history.

This rosy financial picture, which then-City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney and Chief Financial Officer Dick Evans painted for City Council in late May, triggered speculation among elected officials about a possible year-end Christmas present for city property owners in 2012 — a tax cut for 2013.

Mayor Edna Jackson said at that time that a half-mill decrease might be possible if revenue projections held. And the outlook seemed good. City administrators reported that the 2012 general fund, which pays for the bulk of the city’s day-to-day operation costs, was $3.5 million ahead of projections for this year.

Times, however, have apparently changed at City Hall — and not for the better.

City officials are scrambling to come up with additional money to start a city drug squad next year. Last week, there was even talk about raising city property taxes in 2013, not lowering them, so Metro Police Chief Willie Lovett would have the revenue he says he needs to battle street-level drug dealers.

So what happened? Did Savannah go off its own fiscal cliff? How did the city go from the largest surplus in its history to a point where it apparently can’t fund additional police officers without a tax hike?

On Monday, the mayor and council met in a special meeting to discuss several items, including the formation of a metro drug squad and how to fund it.

The chief had asked the council for $3 million next year for additional manpower. But on Monday, the council tentatively decided to give him less than a tenth of that amount — $237,603, which would come in the last quarter of 2013 out of existing city reserves and money the city expects to collect through drug-related property seizures.

In other words, do it on the cheap.

Until then, they expect the chief to use the officers he already has to work street-level drug cases. In a nutshell, that means taking some uniformed officers off regular patrol duties so they can work undercover cases during the first nine months of next year.

That’s less than ideal. It means a less visible police presence, and less deterrent for criminals.

The chief said the plan “robs Peter to pay Paul.” He’s right from his perspective. But he doesn’t control the purse strings. The mayor and council, along with Acting City Manager Stephanie Cutter do.

The question is whether these officials can come up with the funds — without a tax hike — so metro police can be a more effective crime-fighting force. If the city had an $8.4 million surplus last year, and it was $3.5 million in the black through May of this year, that answer would seem to point to a “yes.”

Also at Monday’s council meeting, some elected officials were concerned that they didn’t have more specifics about how a city-run drug unit would coordinate its efforts with the county-run Counter Narcotics Team. That’s an important piece of the puzzle.

Generally speaking, the CNT focuses on mid-level and upper-level drug cases. Chief Lovett, however, has argued that the city needs its own drug-fighting force to go after dealers who are most visible to citizens — the low-level creeps who work street corners — that the CNT apparently ignores.

Ms. Cutter, in response to a question Monday from Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague, said the council has the option to take away the $237,603 from the police department if elected officials aren’t happy with the results. That’s as it should be.

Not long ago, the city paid six-figure sums to hire private consultants to advise officials on such matters as LNG dangers, compliance with minority participation contracts and Waters Avenue revitalization. It’s good that today’s elected officials seem to be watching the dollar signs more closely.

But what about the $8.4 million surplus from last year, along with the $3.5 million in excess revenue that was piling up this year? Those are bigger numbers.

If elected officials don’t have confidence in the chief or his drug-fighting plan, that’s a major personnel issue. They should take it up with the chief’s boss, Ms. Cutter.

But approving a 2013 city budget and the millage rate are the council’s responsibility. It must do both by the end of December.

More officers to fight drugs should be in the picture. But a tax hike in 2013, considering the rosy fiscal report outlined in May? No way.

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No money left..more cost cutting for the Police...same polarizing leadership on the dept.,,ridiculous turnover rate that has left them with hardly any seasoned officers..and nothing will be done....get use to it Savannah the crime rate is only going to get worse..

There NEVER was a $8.4 million surplus and there sure as hell wasn't going to be a tax cut-- not from this regime of incompetent clowns. We're all still waiting on the results of the AUDIT of Rochelle's tenure, when it will be divulged that not only was there NO SURPLUS, there was a tremendous amount of money that was siphoned off to cronies. And when these details are made public, I fully expect Edna Jackson to be removed from office or face a recall election before the Irish take to the streets next spring. This city has gone straight to hell in the past two years and its time that control was wrested from the clowncil and put in the hands of competent professionals at every level. We should continue to de-Rochelle and de-Chisolm this city.